Second Chances [Doctor Who Fanfic]

Second Chances [Doctor Who Fanfic] PT5

Part 5  The Lonely Traveler

SECOND CHANCES

Rose sat in shock, her eyes wide and heart pounding. Was it worth dying for? Even if it was only for a minute, could she bring herself to live beyond her own family? And who was this Doctor, not wanting her to go; not wanting death take nature's course but stay forever with him? What if they decided to go back? The Doctor had made it so easy to come back for her and family visitations didn't seem like a death-imposing act. She mentioned this to him.

"Rose, the only reason I think I didn't die was because I had...incentive. One wrong move, and we're crushed. It's not as easy as you would think. Going back to your world would not only make it easier to get back in forth because of our persistance, but because of continuous universe-hopping, we'd be tearing a wider gap in that entrance. We've already damaged the hole enough and it'll take hundreds of years to rebuild itself. That's why I was afraid of using it in the first place; I had no idea when it'd last been used, but I made a decent guess that no one really had quite the tools or brains to do it," he explained. "Going back brings both worlds closer to it's demolition. It's...out of the question."

He didn't want to be rude, let alone hurt her feelings, but he wanted her to understand every consequence of the choice she had made. Although this conversation was a bit delayed...

"So what you're asking is if maybe I, well, I don't know, might wanna live forever?" she said completely sarcastically and irritated. "I mean, I knew I'd be traveling, but not for, forever! Not that it's a terrible thing, but do you understand how strange it is to just outlive everyone you know? Have them die before you even get your third laugh line?" The Doctor watched her as she got up and circled the console in her frustration.

"Yes."

"Yes what?"

"I know what it's like. To watch everything die, to see everyone I've ever loved or known pass on. I've had to live through generations of death after death. I think you're forgetting how aged I really am," he said darkly, looking up slowly. "Which is exactly why I'm suggesting this. I've been through enough loss. And I never want to lose you."

As easy as the words came, they seemed to stick in his throat. This conversation mimicked the same one they'd had outside of the shop with Sarah Jane and Mickey. Only this one lacked the company but mirrored the same point. He felt he was always on the edge when he made promises. How many times had he promised he would save someone only to watch them die? And when he said he'd never leave Rose, he witnessed her losing her grip on the lever just to be pulled into the Parallel World.

He didn't want to give false promises, but spoke his mind. He never wanted to lose her, but felt that someday he'd watch as she died on some barren moon or right in his arms. And that's where his promise would melt into thin air.

"But Doctor...wouldn't the universe...explode or something?"

"What?" he said in a high, inquisitive voice.

"Well you know when I saved my dad and those creatures came because you said there was one more person alive in the world that wasn't there before, wouldn't that work the same for me?"

"Well, you haven't exactly had a prevented death date, and it's not like you're really part of any events on earth. You'll be like me," he chirped cleverly, "a lonely traveler. Only landing, never staying. So; what do you say? Life with me forever. Doesn't sound too bad, does it?" Rose thought for a minute and walked over and looked at him with a big smile.

"Better with two?" The Doctor grinned back.

"Better with two. Molto Bené!" He took her hand and pulled into a big hug. She turned her head to his once more.